1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Peel the pears, half them and core them. Set aside.

2. Add the sugar to a 24cm (9.5-inch) ovenproof frying pan and heat up on the stove. Let the sugar melt until light golden in color – takes about 5-6 minutes. Add the butter in small pieces, the vanilla seeds and the vanilla bean pod, as well as the espresso and mix to combine. As soon as the butter is melted, and you got a nice caramel sauce, you can add the pears, cut-side up. Reduce the heat a bit and let the pears cook for 8-9 minutes until slightly softer.

3. Cut the puff pastry into a circle that is as big as the frying pan. My puff pastry was so long, I could cut out two circles and place them on top of each other. Prick several times with a fork. Place the puff pastry on top of the pears and tuck the edges of the pastry under along the sides. Bake the Tart for about 32-36 minutes until the puff pastry is golden and crisp. Take out oven the oven and let sit for a few minutes, so the caramel can firm up a bit, then very (!) carefully flip it onto a serving plate. Make sure the serving plate sits snug on the frying pan, or you will spill hot caramel sauce everywhere. Serve warm with some ice cream.

Tips: You should handle the hot frying pan very carefully and always use oven mitts or a kitchen towel. Always let the tart rest for some time after baking, so the caramel can firm up a bit. However, you shouldn’t wait too long for it to set, otherwise you won’t be able to get the tart out of the pan. Emergency solution – place the frying pan on the stove and heat up once more, so the caramel can melt again.